ASTM Panel Votes to Modify Biodiesel Standards

Engineering standards group ASTM International voted to tighten standards on pure and blended biodiesel fuel during meetings last week in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The approval by the technical committee on petroleum products and lubricants effects pure biodiesel, or B100; B5, the 5% blend; and B6-B20 containing 6% to 20% biodiesel.

Biodiesel is used in trucking to supplement or replace conventional diesel, but has sometimes produced problems when used in cold climates.

If approved by the ASTM board, the standard could be in force by September or October, said task force chairman Steve Howell.

For pure biodiesel the standard would require a “cold soak” test, which helps monitor the fuel’s “cloud point,” or when fuel starts to change chemically due to exposure to cold.